The dollar is narrowly mixed. it’s up 0.2% against the yuan and Australian dollar and 0.1% relative to the loonie and yen. It’s unchanged against sterling but down 0.2% against the euro and 0.1% relative to the kiwi and Swiss franc.

Share prices in Europe are up 1.5% in Spain, 1.0% in Italy,0.9% in Germany, and 0.8% in France. Stocks in the Pacific Rim rose 1.2% to a 9-month high in China, 1.0% in Hong Kong, 0.9% in Singapore, 0.7% in South Korea, 0.3% in Japan, and 0.2% in Indonesia and Taiwan. Equities lost 0.4% in Australia and New Zealand.

WTI crude oil at $50.29 per barrel dropped 1.1%. Iraq wants to be excluded from OPEC production curbs. Comex gold is 0.3% higher at $1,272 per ounce.

The 10-year British gilt and German bund yields are 3 and 1 basis points down from Friday.

Japan’s purchasing managers index in manufacturing rose 1.3 points to 51.7 in October, which is a 9-month high. Jobs grew at their best pace in 2-1/2 years.

Euroland’s PMI news was also better than anticipated.

The composite Ezone PMI rose 1.1 points to a 10-month high of 53.7. Manufacturing jumped to a 30-month peak, and services rose to a 9-month high. The data are consistent with 0.4% quarterly growth at the start of the fourth quarter.

Germany’s composite, services, and manufacturing purchasing manager indices of 55.1, 54.1 and 55.1 were at 3-, 3- and 33-month highs in October and suggest economic growth in Euroland’s largest member of around 0.5%.

The French manufacturing PMI increased 1.6 points to a 10-month high of 51.3. But the services PMI dropped 1.2 points to a 3-month low of 52.1, depressing the composite PMI to a 2-month low and suggesting nonannualized quarter on quarter growth of only about 0.25% at the start of the quarter.

Japan’s September customs trade position was in surplus by JPY 498 billion not adjusted (almost 50% more than street expectations). The seasonally adjusted surplus was JPY 349 billion versus JPY 364 billion in August and JPY 308 billion in July. On-year export contraction slowed to 6.9% in September from 9.6% in August.

Japan’s index of leading economic indicators for August was revised down 0.3 points but was still at the strongest level since November 2015.

Japanese supermarket sales fell 3.2% in the year to September, similar to the 2.9% drop in August.

The British CBI industrial trends index fell twelve points to an 8-month low of negative 17.

Czech economic sentiment improved to a 9-month high in October on stronger consumer confidence.

Currency Thoughts has evolved from a blog to a full-functioning website. This new design provides easier access to your favorite features and new capabilities to accept ads. In the future, it will be possible to register to accept emailed updates.